Gaya Chhap, Shakti Bhog, Shreshth are Best Buys: CERS

Ahmedabad, Apr 12 (UNI) The recent laboratory test carried out by Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS) on 12 branded and two unbranded loose samples of Besan (gram flour) declared Gaaye Chhap, Shakti Bhog and Shreshth as ''Best Buys'' among the brands tested.

The laboratory tested Besan against 15 nutritional, chemical and labelling parameters. All the tests were carried out well within the shelf-life of the samples taken.

Of these alcoholic acidity test of a product is a very critical parameter, determining the freshness of the product. The higher the alcoholic acidity, the higher the rancidity. The maximum alcoholic acidity as per Agmark is 0.12 per cent for Grade-I and 0.18 per cent for Grade II.

Brand Gopal showed the maximum alcoholic acidity of 0.2 per cent, whereas brands Chahat and Rajdhani, both Grade I, revealed aloholic acidity of 0.15 and 0.13 per cent, respectively, indicating that these brands were stale. The least percentage of alcoholic acidity was found in B.H. Modi (0.08 per cent) and Gaay Chhap (0.09 per cent), making them the freshest among tested brands.

The Indian Standard specifies that Besan should have a minimum of 21 per cent protein and none of the brands carried the ISI mark, being voluntary. However, if the results are checked against the limits of the ISI, then Gopal and Janta Bazaar failed to pass the minimum requirement, they contained 13 per cent and 18.8 per cent of protein, respectively, indicating substandard quality.

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